Fire-extinguishing device



Sept. o

P. G. MacGREc-:QR ET Al.

FIRE EXT INGUISHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 17, 1922 2 Sheets-'Shed 1 A TTOH/VEY sept. 9 1924. y 1,507,745

'- P. `G. MaCGREGOR ET AL FIRE EXTINGUISHING I-)EVICE Filed Feb.' 17 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2 M JM-i Patented Sep't. 9, 1924.

UNITI-:D STATES 1,507,745 PATENT OFFICE.'

PETER GRAHAM MAOGBEGOR, OF PEQUANNOCK, NEW JERSEY, AND GEORGE E. FERGU- SON, F SPRING VALLEY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO PYRENE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

FIBE-EXTINGUISHING I DEVICE.

Application led February 17, 1922. Serial No. 537,164.

T o all whom it may concern:

ABe it lknown that PETER Gr. MAoGnncoR and GEORGE E. FERGUSON, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of

lequannock, Morris County, New Jersey, and of Moleston, Spring Valley, Rockland County, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishing Devices, of which the following A is a specification'.

' This invention relates to fire-extinguisher attachments for receptacles containing highly-infiammable material, and is particularly adapted for use upon motion-picture filmholders. A holder of the latter type usually comprises a box-like receptacle partitioned off to accommodate several rolls of film. 1t is essential that a fire in such receptacle be extinguished with the greatest rapidity, for should the flames eat their way into the roll the large amount of oxygen present in the film material will support combustion despite eiorts to extinguish it. It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide the receptacle with a fire-extinguishing attachment which will respond instantly in the presence of heat or a iiame in any part of the receptacle to extinguish the tire before it has made any substantial progress.

It is a further object to provide a device of the type described which can be applied to a receptacle with a minimum amount of effort and without material change or moditication of the receptacle.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a holder for rolls of motion-picture film with the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a. front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, the door of the receptacle having been removed to display the interior.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vertically sectioned, of the thermally-controlled valve for distributing the fire-extinguishing liquid.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. l,v the side wall of the receptacle havin been partly broken away.

Fig. 5 is an e arged sectional detail view of the distributor head.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a receptacle 10 which, in the present case,is a holder for rolls of film but which may be adapted for storing any inflammable material. The receptacle .is usually box-like and divided by partitions 11 into compartments each of a size for receiving a roll of film. Access to the interior of the receptacle may be had by a hin ed door 12 operated by a knob 13. Shoul any of the films catch fire, the flames would eat their Way rapidly into the core of the roll and thereafter the large amount of oxygen present in the nitrocellulose oit' the filml will -support the combustion in spite of any e'orts to extinguish it. It. is therefore necessary to provide not onlylire-extinguishing means, ,but also means for rapidly setting the saine in operation as soon as iiame starts or heat is generated.

For this purpose the fire-extinguishing iiuid is contained in a tank 15 supported in any suitable manner, as by brackets 14, on the receptacle preferably at the rear thereof, a supply conduit 16 extending from said tank through a wall of the receptacle (here shown as the top wall). The re may start in any part of the receptacle, and therefore there is provided a distributor valve 20 which, upon generation of heat or flame in any part of the holder, operates to permit. the lire-extinguishing fluid to iow from the supply conduit 16 to a plurality of distributor conduits 21, 22, 23, 24. The conduits 21, 22, and 23 are shown terminating 1n heads 17 shown in detail in Fig. 5 having reduced ends 18 which are outwardly threaded, said reduced ends entering the top wall of the rece tacle at various points and locked preferabq -ing in icated upon gage 30, and the supply to the'conduit 16 may be controlled by a valve 27. The supply of fluid to the distributor conduits is controlled by the 4distributor valve 20. 1

y vby `nuts 19 threaded upon saidl .reduced ends, while the conduit 24 (see ros The construction of the distributor valve is shown in detail in Fig. 3, and comprises a chamber 31 fixed on the outer side of the top wall and a shell 32 threaded on a collar 29 fixed to thelower side of said wall. In the upper end of shell 32 operates a substantially cylindrical valve-member 35 which extends upwardly through openings in the shell, top wall, and chamber into said chamber 31. The conduits 21, 22, 23, 24 extend through the side wall of chamber 31. The latter is also provided with an. opening in its top wall into which fits a plug 4 0 having an opening large enough to permit assage of the supply conduit 16. It wil be obvious that if liquidis supplied to conduit 16 and the end of the latter is open, the liquid will discharge into chamber 31 and thence into the distributing conduits. Means are therefore provided whereby the end of conduit 16 is normally closed but which is opened upon a predetermined rise in temperature or the presence of flame in the surrounding medium.

For this purpose the end of conduit 16 is normally closed by the cone-shapedtop 42 of valve-member 35, said valve-member resting upon a plate 43 and being held against the end of said conduit by a coil spring 44 pressing against said plate. The spring is supported in position by two members or levers 45 and 46, each of said levers being supported by their `upper ends 59 and 60 upon a liange A47 on shell 32 and normally held against movement relative to each other by strips of metal 48 and 49 soldered together by low-fusing metal 50 and connecting the lower ends of said levers. One of the levers 45, 46 (here shown as lever 45 is provided with a ridge 51 normally seate in a corresponding groove in the other lever (here shown as lever 46) so that a togg1ejoint is formed.

In operation, when the temperature of the surrounding medium rises above the melting-point of the low-fusing metal 50, the latter will yyield and spring 44 will swing levers 45 and 46 about ridge 51 as a pivot so that ends 59 and 60 swing toward each other and allow levers 45 and 46, the s ring 44 and plate 43 to drop out of shel 32. The tension of the spring being released, valve-member 35 will move away from the end of conduit 16 permitting the liquid to discharge into chamber 31 and thence into the -distributor conduits. The movement of valvemember 35 is limited by a ange 52 carried thereby enga ing the bottom wall 53 of chamber 31. T e valve-member may be provided above flange 52 with openings 54 so that liquid may also discharge into the valve-member which, being hollow, acts as a 'conduit similar to the distributor conduits. The valve-member is rovided with opening 55 in its base 56 t ough which through openings 62 and 63 in the shell into the receptacle. A spirally-grooved member 57 may be supported adjacent the base 56 of the valve-member whereby a whirling motion is given to the discharged fluid.

In order that the solder 50 may be fused as soon as flame or heat is generated in any part of the receptacle, `there is provided a oraminous container in the form of a basket 65 hinged at 66 upon the side walls of the receptacle and which is supplied with gunu cotton. After filling, the basket is swung upwardly to eiective position adjacent the solder 50. A piece of gun-cotton may also be inserted in the loop formed b the strips 48 and 49 and the levers 45 an 46. Heat or flame in any part of the receptacle will instantaneously ignite the gun-cotton in the basket which will in turn ignite the guncotton held by the strips and levers, and thus releases' the valve 35`42 and causes the fire-extinguishing Huid to be discharged instantly.

By threadin upon collar 29 another shell 32 having a p ate 43, spring 44, and levers 45 and 46 soldered in position, the device is again ready for operation, the charge of gun-cotton having been renewed.

The above description illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that variations may be resorted to within the scope of the annexed claims.

Claims:

l. In combination with a receptacle for iniammable material, a tank containing lireextinguishing fluid and mounted on said receptacle, a distributor valve mounted-on said receptacle and extending therein, a supply conduit connecting said tank and valve, distributing conduits extending from said valve to various parts of said receptacle, thermally-controlled means normally eective to maintain said valve closed and prevent passa e of fluid from said supply conduit itosaid distributing conduits, and means comprising a charge of (gun-cotton positioned within the receptacle a jacent the thermally-controlled means adapted to be instantaneously ignited directly by the heat or flame generated in any part of the/receptacle to permit the valve to open.

. 2. In combination with a receptacle for i iniiammable material, a tank containi tire-extinguishing fluid and mounted on sai receptacle, a distributor valve mounted on said receptacle and extendin supply conduit connectingsaid tank and valve, distributing conduits extending from said valve to various parts of said receptacle, thermally-con-trolled means normally therein, a.

effective to maintain said valve closed and e prevent passage of Huid from said supply conduit to said distributing conduits, and

. means comprising a charge. of readily-inflammable materlal positioned Within the receptacle adjacent the thermally-controlled supply conduit connecting said tank and valve, distributing conduits extending from said valve to various parts of said receptacle, thermally-controlled means normally e'ective to maintain said valve closed and prevent passage of iuid from said supply conduit to said distributing conduits, and

- means comprising a oraminous container mounted Within said receptacle adjacent the thermally-controlled means and readilyinflammable material'positioned Within said container adapted to be instantaneously ignited directly by the heat or flame generfated in any part of the receptacle to permit the valve to open.

4. In combination with a receptacle for inflammable material, a tank containing a fire extinguishing Huid under pressure and mounted upon said receptacle, a distributor valve mounted in a valve chamber on said receptacle and extending thereinto, a supply conduit connecting said tank and valve chamber, distributing conduits extending from said valve chamber to various parts of the receptacle, thermally controlled c means carried by a removable casing attached to said valve chamber `and adapted to maintain said valve closed and prevent passage of the fluid from said supply conduit to Isaid distributing conduits, said means including a pair of levers pivoted together to form a toggle-joint with their ends extending outside said casing and held together by a fusible solder at saidextending ends, and means comprising a change of readily-inflammable material positioned Within said receptacle adjacent the extending ends of said levers adapted to be instantaneously ignited by the heat or flame generated in any part of the receptacle` to release said levers and operateI said thermally-controlled means to permit said valve to open.

5. In combination With a receptacle for infiammable material, a tank containing a ireextinguishing iuid mounted on Said receptacle', a distributor valve mounted in a valve chamber on said receptacle and exltending thereinto, a supply conduit conneoting said tank and valve chamber, a plurality of heads mounted on said receptacle and extending thereinto, distributing conduits extending from said valve chamber' to said heads, each of said heads having a spirally-grooved member loosely carried therein ladapted to cause a Whirlin motion tobe imparted to the discharged uid and to be. distributed in a fine mist in the receptacle, thermally-controlled means adapted to normally main-tain said valve closed, and means comprising ya charge of readilyignitable materialpositioned ad]acent said means and adapted toy be instantaneously ignited directly by' heat or flame generated in said receptacle `to cause said thermally` controlled means to release said valve.

Signed at New York city, inthe county and State of New York, this 14th day of February, 1922.

'PETER GRAHAM MAOGREGOR. GEORGE n. FERGUSON. 

